Vanguard correspondent Christof Putzel shares his exclusive interview with Omar Hammami, an American-born member of the al-Qaida-affiliated Somali terrorist group al-Shabab. Hammami — who was rumored to have been killed — made contact with Current TV in April after watching Putzel’s 2010 “Vanguard” documentary about Hammami, “American Jihadi.”
In the interview, Putzel asks Hammami whether he would ever consider turning himself in.
“Never,” Hammami answers. He elaborates: “Maybe if I received a few head injuries out here I might start having some stupid ideas like that, but up until now I’m still sane. I’ve seen quite enough movies to know how the story turns out and I cherish my religion far too much to sell out for some mediocre comforts of this world. I just pray that God gives me the strength to finish strong.”
For more insight, watch our interview with Hammami’s parents, who shared their thoughts after discovering their son was alive. Read Putzel’s blog post on this unfolding story here.
